Power field-effect transistors are characterized by a high stability against high voltages and high currents. While power transistors are integrated in integrated circuits, the control circuits, which switch on and off the power transistors, are often integrated in separate integrated circuits to limit the temperature of the integrated circuits. Power transistors may be of different types, e.g. n-channel or p-channel-type and may have additional protection circuitry. These power transistors with protection circuitry are called protected field-effect transistors.
Power MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors) transistors are specified by an upper limit for the gate-source voltage. If a user chooses a wrong control circuit or the wrong voltage supply, the power MOSFET transistor may be destroyed.